Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Text (12 of 13)

Exposition of the Apostles Creed · Text (12 of 13)

p. 462The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold. First, seeing God hath elected some to saluation, and hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy worde whereby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election, we must therefore as Saint Paul counselleth vsus, giuegive all diligence to make our election sure. 2. Pet. 1.10.2 Pet 1:10In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of lands and goods to themselues and their posteritie: what a shame is it then for vsus, that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God, which is more worth then all the world beside? and if we shall continue to be slacke herein, the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be billes of accusation against vsus at the day of iudgement to condemne vsus. Secondly, by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world, because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation, he hath also appointed to liue in newnes of life, as Saint Paul saith, God hath chosen vsus in Christ before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1.4.Eph 1:4that we should be holy and without blame before him. And againe, We are created in Christ Iesus vntounto good workes, Eph. 2.10.Eph 2:10which God hath ordained that we should walke in them. And, God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and faith of the truth. 2. Th. 2.13.The Elect are vessells of honour:Rom. 9. 2. Tim. 2.21.Rom 92 Tim 2:21 and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect, must carrie themselues as vessells of honour. For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour, imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be, euen to the seruice of the deuill. The sunne was ordained to shine in the day, and the moone in the night, and that order they keepe, yea eueryevery creature in his kind obserueth the course appointed vntounto it by creation, as the grasse to grow, and trees to bring forth fruit: now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life; and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world, that we are indeede chosen to saluation, we must be plentifull in all good works, & make conscience of eueryevery euill way: and to doe otherwise is as much as to chaunge the order of nature, and as if the sunne p. 463should cease to shine by day and the moone by night. Thirdly, when God shall send vponupon any of vsus in this world crosses and afflictions, either in bodie or in minde, or any way else (as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares, and iudgement must begin at Gods house) we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of mind. For whome God knew before,Rom. 8.29.Rom 8:29 them he hath predestinate to be made like vntounto his sonne. But wherein is this likenes? Paul saith, in the fellowship of his afflictions, Phil. 3.10.Phil 3:10and in a conformitie to his death. And the consideration of this, that afflictions were ordained for vsus in the eternal predestination of God, must comfort our hearts, and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnderunder the burden of them. Hence againe we learne that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God, because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie, are farre deceiued. For Saint Paul saith, God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction, Rom. 9.22.Rom 9:22to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them. Which beeing so, then no man by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the louelove of God. Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vponupon the bare … and they which are pampered with the wealth of this worlde, sooner forsake God, and therefore are sooner forsaken of God then others. Salomon saith,Eccles. 9.1.Eccl 9:1 No man knoweth louelove or hatred, that is, by outward things: for all things come alike to all: the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust, to the wicked and good, to the pure and polluted. Lastly, it may be an offence vntounto vsus, when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne, or else despised and persecuted of the whole world; but we must stay our selues with this consideration, that nothing comes to passe by chance, that God knowes who are his; and that there must be some in the world, on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice. Againe Ministers of the Gospell may be discouraged, when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours: the people whome they teach remaining as blinde, p. 464impenitent, and vnreformed as euer they were. But they must also consider, that it is the purpose of God to chose some to saluation and to refuse others: and that of the first some are called sooner some later, and that the second being left to themselues neuer come to repentance. To this Paul had regard when he saide, If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish. And againe, We are vntounto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish.

Hitherto I hauehave deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion, which also is the doctrine of the Church of England: now it followeth that wee should consider the falshoode. Sundrie Divines hauehave deuised, and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination: the effect and substance whereof is this. The nature of God (say they) is infinite louelove, goodnes, and merciemercy it selfe: and therefore he propoundes vntounto himselfe an ende answearable thereunto, and that is the communication of his louelove and goodnes vntounto all his creatures. Now for the accomplishing of this supreame & absolute ende, he did foure things. First he decreed to create man righteous in his own image: secondly, he foresaw the fall of man after his creatiō, yet so, as he neither willed nor decreed it: thirdly, he decreed the vniuersall Redemption of all & eueryevery man effectually by Christ, so be it they wil beleeue in him: fourthly, he decreed to call all & eueryevery man effectually, so as if they will they may be saued. This being done, he in his eternall counsell foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ, did thereupon Elect them to eternall saluation: and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered, did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation.

This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason, yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine: as will appeare by sundrie defects and errours that be in it. For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare presciēce of God, without any decree or will of his, it is a flat vntruth. The putting of Christ to death was as p. 465great a sinne as the fall of Adam, nay in some respects greater.Act. 2.23.Acts 2:23 Now that came to passe not onelyonly by the foreknowledge of God, but also by his determinate counsell. And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith, Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues togither to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done: so may we say,Act. 4.28.Acts 4:28 that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done. And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are euen to sparrows, whereof none doe light vponupon the ground without our heauenly father, how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are, shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God. And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsell or decree. For by this meanes, things shall come to passe God nilling, or not knowing, or not regarding them.Nolenie, nesciente, non curan…e. Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it, then that is done which God would not hauehave done; and to say so is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie. And if we shall say that things fall out God not knowing of them, we make him to be imprudent, and denie his omniscience: lastly, if we shall say that a thing is done God not regarding it, we bring in an idole of our owne braines, and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures. But it is obiected to the contrarie, that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam, then he was the author of sinne: which once to say is blasphemie. Answear. The argument followes not. There be three actions in the will of God; one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it:1. Volendo velle. and of all such things God himselfe is the author. The second is, wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing:2. Nolendo nolle, or penitus nolle. and all thinges thus nilled can not possibly come to passe or hauehave the least beeing in nature.3. Remissè & velle & nolle, or nolendo velle. There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former, which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing; whereby though God approoue not euill as it is euill, p. 466and therfore doth it not: yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others, or the beeing of it; because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill, it is good that there should be euill. And on this maner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam: and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man, though he decreed the fall, yet shall he be free from the blame thereof, which lies wholly vponupon the doer; these two caueats alwaies remembred: first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne, or infuse into it any corruption; and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely, only by the aaDecretum dei non tollit libertatē voluntatis sed ordinat.necessitie of immutabilitie, & not by the necessitie of coaction: secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie end, which was to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of his iustice and merciemercy. Againe it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall, then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe, because he wills that which he had by expresse commaundement forbidden. Answer. In deede if God should both wil and forbid one and the same thing, in one and the same respect, there should be a contradiction in Gods will: but that God doth not. He forbad Adams fall as it was a sinne: for so in eueryevery commaundement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished: and yet because it was in a new respect, a meanes of manifesting his glorie, who is able to bring light out of darknes, therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it. Incest as it is a sinne, it is condemned in the seuenth commandement, and punished with death: yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie, God is said to take his wiues and to giuegive them to his sonne Absolom.2. Sam. 12.11.2 Sam 12:11

Some againe, as it appeares by their writings, feare to ascribe vntounto God so much as a permission of Adams fall: but no doubt they are deceiued. For if these rules be true; that God is omnipotent: that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will, and gouernes them: that he hath care and regard ouer man: that nothing is hid from him: that he is vnchangeable, there must needs be permission of will. If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission,Mark. 5.12.Mark 5:12 shall we thinke that he could p. 467compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man, without a permission? Indeed to permit, is not to hinder euill when one may; and with men this is a fault, but not with God, because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits.

The second fault is, that they make the Prescience of mans faith & vnbeliefe, to be the impulsiue causes of Gods decree. For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men, because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue. But indeed it is a manifest vntruth. Among the causes of al things that are, there is an order set down by God himselfe, in which order some causes are highest some lowest, some in the middest. Now the highest cause of all is that, which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none: and that is Gods will, beyond which there can be no higher cause: for God is placed aboue all, and subiect to none. And this very will of his is the cause of all things that hauehave beeing: for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth, and then afterward is willed of God; but first of all God wills a thing, and then afterward it comes to hauehave beeing. Nowe to say that foreseene faith or vnbeliefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation, is to vndoe this diuine order of causes, and to displace the linkes; in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to others causes placed aboue it: and this is to make the will of God to depend vponupon the qualitie and condition of the creature, whereas all things depend vponupon it. Againe, Paul saith that God hath opened the mysterie of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himselfe: whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour. Men,Eph. 1.9.Eph 1:9 when they purpose the doing of any thing, borrowe reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from the thinges to be done; because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to vvarrant the doing of this or that, in this or that manner, vnlesse there be iust reason. But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse, and a thing is good so farre forth as Gods wills it. Therefore p. 468there is no cause, why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell: his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees. And hereupon Paul saith, that Gods purpose was in himselfe, to shew that there is no dependance of his will vponupon the creature, and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees hee had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men. Thirdly by this doctrine, there is fastned vponupon God want of wisedome, who is wisedome it selfe: and that is very absurd. A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisedome of God, first of all intendes with himselfe the ende and euent of the busines to be done, and then afterward the meanes whereby the ende is accomplished: but in this platforme God is brought in, in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende, namely the faith and vnbeliefe of men, and then afterwarde to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of eueryevery man either in life or death: as if a man should purpose with himselfe to builde an house without any consideration of the ende why; and afterwarde conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which hee will applie it. Fourthly, hence it followeth that faith shall not onelyonly be an instrument, but also an efficient cause in the acte of iustification of a sinner before God. For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused; but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation (as it is said:) and therefore it is not onelyonly an instrument to apprehende Christs righteousnes, but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner; because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith: which is erronious by the doctrine of all Churches, vnlesse they be Popish. Fifthly, this doctrine takes it for graunted, that all both young and old, euen infants that die in there infancie hauehave knowledge of the Gospell, because both faith and vnbeliefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him: considering that neither ordinarily, nor extraordinarily p. 469men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne. But howe false this is, euen common experience doth shewe. Lastly, this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe. For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam are effectually both redeemed and called, the difference betweene man and man, stands not in beleeuing or not beleeuing, for all beleeue: but in this properly that some are confirmed in faith, some are not. Now when all without exception are indewed with grace sufficient saluation, I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace, and others not confirmed, as also of Angels some were confirmed and stande, and some not confirmed, fell? No other reason can be rendered but the will of God. And to this must all come, striue as long as they will, that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued, some iustly forsaken, because God would. Againe, as the foreseeing of faith doth presuppose Gods giuing of faith, vnlesse men will say it is naturall: so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone, doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone. But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all? because he will not: so then those men whose faith was foreseene, are saued, not because their faith was foreseene, but because God would.

The third faulte is, that they ascribe vntounto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell, whereby hee decrees that all men shall be saued, so be it they will beleeue. For it is eueryevery way as much against common sense, as if it had beene said, that God decreed nothing at all concerning man. A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally, and therefore vncertenly: and when we speake of God, to determine vncertenly, is as much as if he had determined nothing at all, specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans will, and in respect of God, the decree may come to passe or not come to passe. Men, if they might alwaies hauehave their choise, desire to determine of all their affaires simplie without cōdition: and when they doe otherwise it is either because they knowe not the euent of things, or because things to be p. 470done are not in their power. No reason therefore that we should burden God with that, whereof we would disburden our selues. Againe the Maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree. God for his part would hauehave all men to be saued: why then are they not? men will not keepe the condition and beleeue. This is flat to hang Gods will vponupon mans will, to make eueryevery man an Emperour, and God his vnderling, and to chaunge the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man which is the second cause: whereas by the very lawe of nature the first cause should order and dispose the second cause. But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged, that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospell, which is Gods predestination reuealed. Answ. It is an vntruth. There be two wills in God, aaquid vult fieri de nobis, or, in nobis.one whereby hee determineth what he will doe vntounto vsus or in vsus: the other, bbquid vult fieri à nobis.whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him. Now Predestination is the first: wherupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessings of God, whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered, and the Gospell is the second. Againe, Predestination determines who they are, and how many which are to be saued, and hereupon Christ saith, I know whome J hauehave chosen:Ioh. 13.18.John 13:18 but the Gospell rather determines what kinde of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued. Lastly Predestination in Gods decree it selfe: and the Gospell is an outward meanes of the exequution of it: and therefore though the Gospell be propounded with a condition, yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute.

The fourth defect, is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace appertaining to all and eueryevery man: which may be fitly tearmed the Schole of vniuersal Atheisme. For it pulls downe the pale of the Church, and laies it wast as eueryevery common fielde: it breedes a carelessenes in the vse of the meanes of grace, the word & sacraments; when as men shall be perswaded that grace shall be offered to eueryevery one p. 471effectually, whether he be of the Church or not at one time or other, wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue: as in the like case; if men should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no, there shall be sufficient prouision brought them, if they will but receiue it and accept of it, who would then come to the market?

Vniuersall grace hath three parts. Vniuersall Election: vniuersall Redemption: vniuersall Vocation. Vniuersall Election of all and eueryevery man, is a witlesse conceit: for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception, then there is no Electing or choosing of some out of mankinde to grace: and if some alone be appointed to grace, as it must needes be in Election, then is not grace vniuersall. And it is flat against the word of God. For Christ auoucheth plainly that fewer be chosen then called,Math. 22.14.Matt 22:14 and (as afterward we shall see) all are not called. And he further saith, that all which are giuen vntounto him shall be one with him and hauehave life euerlasting:Ioh. 17.2, 11, 24.John 17:2John 17:11John 17:24 but all men shall not be one with him and hauehave life euerlasting: and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father, that is, ordained to saluation. And the Scripture saith, that all mens names are not written in the booke of life:Apoc. 17.8. and 20.12. Math. 25.34.Rev 17:8Rev 20:12Matt 25:34 and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all. And whereas men build this their vniuersall Election vponupon the largenes of the promise of the Gospel▪ vponupon the like ground they might as wel make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation, whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vponupon this condition, if they doe not beleeue. Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd, as it is indeede, then vniuersall Election must take part therewith.

As for the Vniuersal redemption of all & eueryevery man, it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine. There shall be many in the day of iudgement of whome Christ shall say, that he neuer knew them. Againe he saith,Math. 7.23. Ioh. 3.36.Matt 7:23John 3:36 He which beleeveth not is alreadie iudged, and the wrath of God abides vponupon him. But if all were effectually redeemed, and onelyonly condemned for not beleeuing in Christ, it should hauehave beene said that they are alreadie iudged, and that the wrath of p. 472God not abides but returnes vponupon them. Christ makes no intercession for the worlde:Ioh. 17.9.John 17:9 and therefore his redemption is not effectuall to all men▪ For the intercession is the meanes of applying the satisfaction. If it be said that by the world is meant onelyonly contemners of grace, it appeares to be otherwise in that Christ opposeth the world to them which are the fathers, and are gi…en to Christ by him: thereby signifying that by the world he meanes all su…h as are not the fathers, and were neuer giuen to Christ. And he laies downe his life for his sheepe:Ioh. 10.27.John 10:27 nowe the sheepe hauehave all these brands or markes; they heare his voice, they know him, they follow him, they shall not perish, none shall plucke them out of Christs hands: and these are onelyonly such of whome Paul saith;Rom. 8.33.Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect: it is God that iustifieth, who shall condemne? And if this should be true that Christ was crucified and died no lesse to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the damned, then for the sinnes of Peter and Paul and the rest of the Saints, it followes necessarily that all their sinnes are forgiuen: considering that remission of sinne depends inseparably vponupon satisfaction made to Gods iustice for sinne: and satisfaction doth necessarily abolish all fault. Wee graunt that Christs death is sufficient to saue many thousand worlds: we graunt againe it is eueryevery way most effectuall in it selfe: but that it is effectuall in, or vntounto the person of eueryevery man, that we denie. For if it were thus effectuall, then it should be applied to the person of eueryevery man, as to Caine, Iudas, Nero, Heliogabalus, &c. euen as the plaister is laide to the sore: beeing applied, Christs righteousnes should be imputed for the iustification and sanctification of all and eueryevery man: and thus some iustified before God and sanctified should after goe to hell and be damned, whereas Dauid neuer so much as dreaming of this diuinitie saith, that they are blessed which hauehave the pardon of their sinnes;Psal. 32.1. Rom. 5.1.Ps 32:1Rom 5:1 and Paul, that they which are iustified hauehave peace with God. But let vsus heare what reasons may be alleadged to iustifie the Vniuersalitie of redemption: I. Ezechiel 33. vers. 11. As I liue, saith the Lord, J will not the p. 473death of the vvicked: but, that the vvicked returne from his vvicked vvay. Ansvveare. The place is to be vnderstoode not simplie but in respect; of the twaine God rather wills the repentance of the sinner then his death. Againe, he wils not death as it is the destruction of his creature, and so this place may be vnderstoode: yet neuerthelesse he will… the same as it is a meanes of manifestation of his iustice: and therefore the Prophet Isai saith,Isai 45.7.Isa 45:7 that God createth euill. II. 1. Tim. 2. God vvould hauehave all men to be saued and come to the acknovvledgement of the truth. Ansvveare. The place is meant not of the persons of all particular men, but of the orders and kindes of men. For in the first verse Paul exhorted Timothie that praier should be made for all men: and in the second verse opening his owne meaning, he addeth these wordes, for Kings and all that be in authoritie: as though he should say, we must pray not onelyonly for priuate men and for the common people, but also for publicke persons, though they persecute the Gospell. But why? because in that very order God hath his Elect which shall be saued. And on this manner Paul expoundes himselfe else where. There is neither Ievve nor Grecian: Gal. 5.27.Gal 5:27there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ. III. Rom. 11. vers. 32. God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe that he might hauehave merciemercy on all. Ansvveare. The worde all, must be vnderstoode of all that are to be saued, both of Iewes and Gentiles, as the article added to all importeth, and the meaning is, that God will saue all whome he purposeth to saue of his merciemercy, and not of their merite,foreign. because all are sinners as well Iewes as Gentiles: thus Paul expoundes himselfe Galat. 3.22. The Scripture hath concluded all vnderunder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue. And if we should expound the word all ▪ for eueryevery particular man▪ as some would hauehave … ▪ Paul must contradict himselfe, who said before that God would hauehave merciemercy on whom he wil hauehave merciemercy, & whom p. 474he will hee hardeneth, and in this very chapter his drift is to prooue the reiection of the Iewes, and the calling of the Gentiles. IV. Ioh. 3.16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onelyonly begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life. and Ioh. 6.51. I will giuegive my flesh for the life of the world. Answer. By world, we must no… vnderstand eueryevery particular man in the world, but the Elect both among the Iewes and Gentiles: for in both these places Christ doth ouerthwart the cōceit of the Iewes, which thought that they alone were loued of God, and not the Gentiles. And how this word is to be vnderstoode in the newe Testament Paul doth fully declare Rom. 11. vers▪ 12. If (saith he) the fall of them, that is, the Iewes, be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, &c. and vers. 15. If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiuing be but life from the dead. Where by the world, he vnderstāds the bodie of the Gentiles in the last age of the world. And thus he fully declares his owne meaning, when he saith to the Corinthians God was in Christ reconciling the world vntounto himselfe. 2. Cor. 5.18.2 Cor 5:18V. Rom. 14. vers. 15. Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ died. 2. Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that bought them, and bring vponupon themselues swift damnation. Therefore Christ died for them also which are condemned. Answ. The reason is not good. For in these and such like places the Scripture speakes of men not as they are indeede before God, but as they are in appearance and profession, and as they are in the acceptance of men. For so long as a man holds and imbraces the Christian faith, so long in the iudgement of charitie we must esteeme him to be one that is redeemed by Christ, though in deede he be not. And this is the meaning of Peter when he saith, that false prophets denie the Lord that bought them. VI. In the preaching of the Gospell grace is freely offered not onelyonly to the Elect, but to all men indifferently: and God in offering grace deludes no man: and therefore Christs death appertaines and belongs to all men indifferently. Answer. The preaching of the Gospell is an ordinance p. 475of God appointed for the gathering togither and the accomplishment of the number of the elect: and therefore in the ministerie of the worde grace and saluation is offered principally and directly to the elect, and onelyonly by consequent to them which are ordained to iust damnation: because they are mingled with the elect in the same societies: & because the ministers of God not knowing his secret counsell, in charitie thinke all to be elect. And though God in offering grace doe not conferre it to all, yet is there no delusion. For the offering of grace doth not only serue for the conuersion of a sinner, but also to be an occasion by mens fault of blinding the minde and hardening the hearte, and of taking away excuse in the day of iudgement.

To conclude this pointe; Vniuersall redemption of all men, we graunt: the Scripture saith so: and there is an universalitie among the elect and beleeuers: but uniuersall Redemption of all and euerie man as well the damned as the elect and that effectually, we renounce as hauing neither footing in the scripture, nor in the writings of any ancient and orthodoxe diuine, for many hundred yeeres after Christ, his words not depraued and mistaken.

As for universall vocation, it is of the same kind with the former: because it is flat against the word of God in which is fully set downe a distinction of the whole world from the creation to the daies of Christ, into two partes: one, the people of God being receiued into the couenant: the other, being the greatest part of the world, No-people, and forth of the couenant. From the beginning of the worlde to the giuing of the lawe, the Church was shut up in the families of the Patriarches: and the couenant in the verie family of Abraham was restrained to Isaak: and the members of these families for this cause were called the sonnes of God; the rest of the world beside being tearmed as they were indeede, the sonnes of men.Gen. 6.Gen 6 From the giuing of the lawe till Christ the nation of the Iewes was the Church of God, and the rest of the world beside, no people of God.Esai. 49.9.Isa 49:9 And therefore Esai calles them prisoners and them that are in p. 476darkenesse: and Ose, Such as are without merciemercy and no people: and Zacharie,Ose▪ 2.23. & 1.10. Zach. 2.11. Act. 14.16. Eph. 2.13.Hos 2:23Hos 1:10Zech 2:11Acts 14:16Eph 2:13 Such as are not ioyned to the Lord: and Paul, Such as are set to walke in their owne waies, beeing without God and without Christ in the world. And this distinction betweene Iewe and Gentile stoode till the verie ascension of Christ. And hereupon when he was to send his disciples to preach, hee charged them not to goe into the way of the Gentiles, & not to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes, but rather to goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel:Mat. 10.6, 7.Matt 10:6Matt 10:7 & when the woman of Canaan made request for her daughter, he gives a deniall at the first vponupon this distinction, saying, It is not meete to take the childrens bread and giuegive it unto dogges:Mat. 15.22.Matt 15:22 and againe, I am not sent but unto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel. It will be said, that this distinction arose of this, that the Gentiles at the first fell away from the couenant, and contemned the Messias. It is true indeede of the first heads of the Gentiles the sonnes of Noe: but of their posterity it is false, which in times folowing did not so much as heare of the couenant, and the Messias. The Prophet Esai saith of Christ,Esai. 55.5.Isa 55:5 A nation that knew not thee shall runne unto thee. And Paul speaking to the Athenians saieth, that the times of this their ignorance God regarded not:Act. 17.30.Acts 17:30 but now admonisheth all men eueryevery where to repent: & to the Romans he saith,Rom. 16.26. 1. Tim. 3.16.Rom 16:261 Tim 3:16 that the mysterie touching Christ and his benefits was kept secret since the world began, & now opened & published among all natiōs. And if the Gentiles had but knowē of the Messias, why did not their Poets and Philosophers who in their writings notoriously abuse the Iewes with sundry aaApella, Verpus Recutitus, Sabbatarius, Cultor nabium.nicknames, at the least signifie the contempt of the Redeemer. Wherefore to hold and much more to auouch by writing, that all and eueryevery one of the heathen were called, it is most absurd: and if it were so, the Canibals and the sauadge nations of America should hauehave knowen Christ without preaching, which by the histories of the discouerie of those cuntries is knowen to be false.

Againe, if the Vocation of eueryevery man be effectuall, then faith must be common to all men either by nature or by grace, or both: now to say the first, namely that the power p. 477of beleeuing is common to all by nature, is the heresie of the Pelagians, & to say it is common to all by grace, is false. All men have not faith, saith Paul:2. Thes. 3.1.2 Thess 3:1 nay many to whom the gospell is preached, doe not so much as understand it and giuegive assent unto it;2. Cor. 4.4.2 Cor 4:4 Satan blinding their minds that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not shine unto them: and to say that faith is partly by nature & partly by grace, is the condemned heresie of the semi-Pelagian: for wee can not so much as thinke a good thought of our selues.2. Cor. 3.5.2 Cor 3:5

The last defect in the platforme is, that they ascribe unto God a wrong end of his counsels: namely the communication of merciemercy or goodnesse in eternall happines. For the absolute & soueraigne ende of all gods doings must be answerable to his nature, which is not mercy and louelove alone, but also iustice it selfe: and that is the manifestation of his glorie both in iustice and mercy by the expresse testimonie of scripture. Againe, if this were so, all men without exception should be saued, because God can not be frustrated of his end & purpose: & if but one man be damned, he is dāned, either because God wil not saue him, or because he cannot. If they say he will not, then he is changeable; if he can not, then he is not omnipotent, considering his purpose was to convey happines to all creatures.

Thus much of the efficient cause of the Church, namely Gods predestination: which doctrine could not here be omitted cōsidering no man can beleeue himselfe to be a mē ber of the Church, unlesse withall he beleeue that he is predestinate to life euerlasting. Now we come to the second point, namely the Mysticall vnion, which is the very forme of the Church,Gal. 3.2….Gal 3:2 whereby all rhat beleeue are made one with Christ. To the causing of this union 2. things are required, a Donation or giuing of Christ unto that man which is to be made one with him: & a Coniunction betwene them both. Of the first, the Prophet Esai saith, VntoUnto us a child is borne, Esai. 9.16.Isa 9:16& unto us a sonne is given: & Paul, who spared not his own sonne, but gave him for us all: Rom. 8.32.Rom 8:32how shall he not with him give vsus all things also? And touching it sundry points must be considered. The first is, what is meant by this Giuing? Ansvvere. It is an action or worke of God the Father by the holy ghost, p. 478whereby Christ as redeemer in the appointed time is really communicated to all ordained to saluation in such manner, that they may truly say that Christ himselfe with all his benefites is theirs, both in respect of right thereto, and in respect of all fruite redounding thence, and that as truly as any man may say that house and lande giuen him of his ancetours is his owne both to possesse and to use.

The second point is, what is the verie thing giuen? Answer. Whole Christ God and man is giuen, because his humanitie without his godhead, or the godhead without the humanitie doth not reconcile us to God. Yet in this giuing there must be a diuers consideration had of the two natures of Christ: for the communication of the godhead is meerely energeticall, that is, onelyonly in respect of operation: in that it doeth make the manhood personally vnited vntounto it to be propitiatorie for our sinnes and meritorious of life eternall. And to auouch any communication of the godhead in respect of essence, were to bring in the heresie of the Maniches, and to maintaine a composition & a commixtion of our natures with the nature of God. Againe, in the manhood of Christ, we must distinguish betweene the subiect it selfe, the substance of bodie and soule, and the blessings in the subiect which tend to our saluation. And the communication of the aforesaide manhoode is in respect of both without separation: for no man can receiue sauing vertue from Christ, vnlesse first of all he receiue Christ himselfe, as no man can hauehave the treasure hid in the field, unlesse first of all he hauehave the field: and no man can be nourished by meate and drink unlesse first of all he receiue the substance of both.Ioh. 6.53, 54.John 6:53John 6:54 And this is the cause why not only in the preaching of the word but also in the institution of the Lordes supper expresse mention is made, not only of Christs merite, but also of his verie body and bloode, whereby the whole humanitie is signified, as appeares by that place where it is said,Ioh. 1.14.John 1:14 that the Word was made flesh. And though the flesh of it selfe profite nothing as S. Iohn saith, yet as it is ioyned to the godhead of the sonne and doth subsist in his person, it receiueth thence quickening vertue, to reuiue and renewe p. 479all those to whome it shall be giuen. Lastly, among the blessings that are stored up in the manhood of Christ for our saluation, some are giuen unto vsus by imputation, as when we are iustified by the righteousnesse indeed inherent in his manhood but imputed vntounto us: some by infusion, as when holinesse is wrought in our hearts by the spirit, as a fruite of that holinesse which is in the manhood of Christ, & deriued from it as the light of one candle from another.

The thirde point is, in what maner Christ is giuen unto us. Ansvv. God the father giueth Christ unto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner, as when a King bestoweth a gift with his owne hand, and puttes it into the hande of his subiect: but the manner is altogither celestiall and spirituall: partly because it is brought to passe by the meere diuine operation of the Holy Ghost: and partly because in respect of vsus this gift is receiued by an instrument which is supernaturall, namely faith, whereby we lay hold of & apply unto our selues the Euangelicall promises. And this maner of giuing may be conceiued thus. A mā that neuer stirred foote out of England holdes and enioyes lande in Turkie: but how comes it to be his? Thus: the Emperour was willing and content to bestow it; and the man for his part as willing to accept and receiue it: and by this meanes that which at the first was the Emperours, by mutuall consent becomes the mans. In the same manner God the Father hath made an Evangelicall couenant with his Church: in which of his mercy hee ha…h made a graunt of his owne sonne vntounto us, with righteousnesse and life euerlasting in him: and we againe by his grace accept of this graunt and receiue the same by faith: and thus by mutuall consent according to the tenour of the couenant, any repentant sinner may truly say, though I now hauehave mine abode upon earth, & Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heauē; yet is he truly mine to hauehave & to enioy, his body is mine, his blood is mine. As for the giuing & receiving of the body & blood of Christ in bodily maner (which the Papists maintaine in auouching the reall transubstātiatiō of bread and wine in the sacraments into the body & blood of p. 478duplicate page p. 479duplicate page p. 480Christ, and the Lutheranes also in teaching that his body and bloode is substantially either in, or with, or under the bread and wine) is an erronious conceit flat opposite to sundrie points of the Christian faith. For Christ to this verie houre retaineth still the essence and essentiall properties of a true bodie, and wee beleeue that really and visibly he ascended into heauen, and there abides till his seconde comming to the last iudgement: who then hauing but common reason would imagine a communication of the bodie of Christ pent up in the element of bread, and conveyed into our bodies by the mouth and stomacke.

The third point is, whether we are not Lordes of Christ he being thus giuen unto us. Ans. No: for this donation is not single but mutuall. As Christ is giuen to us so wee againe are giuen to Christ, as he himselfe saith, Those whome thou hast given me, Ioh. 17.2John 17:2Father, I have kept. And wee are giuen unto him in that our bodies and soules are made his not onelyonly as he is God, but also as he is our redeemer: and our sinnes with the guilt thereof are made his by imputation, & the punishment thereof is wholly laide upon him. This is all the dowrie which the Church being the spouse of Christ hath brought unto him.

The fift point is, how any man in particular may know that Christ is giuen unto him of the Father. Ans. When God giues Christ to man, he withall giues man grace and power to receiue Christ, and to apprehend him with all his benefits: and this we doe when wee utterly renounce our selues, this world and all things therein, bewaile our sinnes past, resting on the death of Christ for the pardon of them all, and as it were with both the armes of faith catching hold vponupon him in all esta…es both in life and death. When the heart of any man is truly disposed and inclined to doe these and the like things, we may truly say, that God hath giuen him grace to receiue Christ.

The second thing required to make us one with Christ is, the Mysticall vnion, which is a Coniunction whereby Christ and his Church are actually coupled into one whol Mysticall bodie. Now that we may the better conceiue p. 481the nature of it, sundrie questions are to be mooued. The first, what kinde of Coniunction this is. Ansvver. In the scripture we meete with three kind of Coniunctions. The first is, coniunction in nature, when sundry things are coupled all by one and the same nature. As the Father, the Sonne, and the holy ghost being three distinct subsistances are all one, and therefore ioyned in one godhead or diuine nature. Now Christ and the beleeuer are not ioyned in nature: for then they twaine should hauehave one body & soule. The second coniunction is in person, when things in nature different, so concurre togither, that they make but one person, as body and soule make one man: and the godhead of the sonne with his manhood make but one Christ: in whome there is an union of distinct natures with unitie of person. Now Christ and a Christian are not ioyned in person: for Christ is one person, Peter a second, and Paul a third distinct from them both: and so many men as there be, so many seuerall persons. The third coniunction is in spirit; and this is the coniunction meant in this place, wherby Christ and his Church are ioyned togither: for the very same spirit of God that dwelleth in the manhood of Christ and filleth it with all graces aboue measure, is deriued thence and dwelleth in all the true members of the church, and filleth them with the like graces in measure, and therefore S. Iohn saith, Hereby wee know that wee dwell in him and hee in us, because he hath given vsus of his spirit. Hence it followes, that the bond of this coniunction is one & the same spirit descending from Christ the head to all his members, creating also in them the instrument of faith whereby they apprehend Christ and make him their owne.

The second is, what are the things united? Ansvv. Not the bodie of the beleeuer to the body of Christ, or the soule to his soule, but the whole person of the man to the whole person of Christ: yet in this order; wee are first of all & immediatly ioyned to the manhoode of Christ, and by the manhood to the godhead.

The thirde question is, what is the manner of this coniunction. Answ. Wee must not thinke that Christ and his p. 482Church are ioyned by imagination, as the mind of man and the thing whereof he thinkes: or by consent of heart as one friend is ioyned with another, and as the Iewes conuerted were all of one heart and soule:Act. 2.42.Acts 2:42 or by any abode in one place, or by touching as sea and land are both ioyned togither and make one globe: or by any composition or commixtion of substances, as when many ingredients are put togither to make one medecine. But this coniunction is altogither spirituall as the former giuing was, and incomprehensible to mans reason: and therefore we must rather labour to feele it by experience in the heart, then to conceiue it in the braine. Yet neuerthelesse it shall not be amisse to consider a semblance of it in this comparison. Suppose a man hauing the partes of his bodie disioyned farre asunder, his head lying in Italy, one arme in Germanie, the other in Spaine, and his legges with us in England: suppose further all these partes or quarters hauehave all one soule extending it selfe unto them all and quickening ech of them seuerally as though they were nearely ioyned togither: and though the partes be seuered many hundred miles asunder, yet the distance of place doeth not hinder the coniunction, considering one and the same soule doth inlarge it selfe and giuegive life vntounto them all. In the same maner the head of the Mysticall bodie Christ our Sauiour is now in heauen, and some of his members in heauen with him and some in earth: and of these, some in England, some in Germanie, some in Italie, some in Spaine, distant many thousand miles asunder: and the spirit of God is as it were the soule of this body which giueth spirituall life to all the members: distance of place doth not hinder this coniunction, because the Holy ghost which linketh all the partes togither, is infinite.

The benefites which we receiue by this Mysticall union are manifold. For it is the ground of the conveiance of all grace. The first that by meanes hereof every Christian as he is a Christian or a man regenerate hath his beginning and being in Christ, howsoeuer as he is a mā he hath his being & subsisting in himselfe,1. Cor. 1.30.1 Cor 1:30 as Paul saith, Ye are of God in Christ. p. 483And, Wee are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. How will some say can this be? After this maner.Ephes. 5.30.Eph 5:30 The comparison is taken from our first parentes. Eve was made of a rib taken out of Adams side he being cast into a slumber: this being done, Adam awaked & said, This now is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. Christ was nailed on the crosse and his most pretious blood was shedde, and out of it arise and spring all true Christians, that is, out of the merite of Christes death and passion, whereby they become newe creatures. Secondly euerie one that beleeueth in Christ by reason of this union hath an unspeakeable prerogatiue, for hereby he is first united to Christ, and by reason thereof is also ioyned to the whole trinitie, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, and shall hauehave eternall fellowshippe with them. Thirdly, sundrie men specially Papistes deride the doctrine of iustification by imputed righteousnesse; thinking it as absurd that a mā should be iust by that righteousnesse which is inherent in the person of Christ; as if we should say, that one man may liue by the soule of another, or be learned by the learning of another. But here we may see that it hath sufficient foundation. For there is a most nere and straite union betweene Christ and all that beleeue in him: and in this union Christ with all his benefites according to the tenour of the couenant of grace, is made ours really: & therefore we may stand iust before God by his righteousnes; it being indeed his, because it is in him as in a subiect; yet so, as it is also ours because it is giuen unto us of God. Now there is no such union betwene man & mā, & for that cause one man can not liue by the soule of another, or be learned by the learning of another. Fourthly, from this fountaine springs our sanctification, whereby wee die to sinne & are renewed in righteousnes and holines. Wormes and flies that hauehave lyen dead all winter, if they be laid in the sunne in the spring time, begin to reuiue by vertue thereof: euen so when we are united to Christ, & are as it were laide in the beames of thi… blessed sonne of righteousnesse vertue is deriued thence which warmeth our benummed heartes deade in sinne, and reviveth us to newenesse of life: p. 484whereby we begin to affect and like good things, and put in practise all the duties of religion. Firstly, hence we hauehave the protection of Gods angels: for they alwaies wait and attend on Christ, and because wee are made one with him, they attend upon us also. Lastly by reason of this union with Christ, eueryevery beleeuer commeth to hauehave interest and to recouer his title in the creatures of God, and to hauehave the holy and lawfull use of them all. For we must consider, that although Adam created in the image of God was made Lord over all things in heauen & earth; yet when he fell by ea…ing the forbidden fruite; he, and in him all mankinde lost the title and use of them all. Now therefore that a man may recover his interest, hee must first of all be united and made one with Christ: and then by Christ who is Lord and King ouer all, shall he recouer that title in the creatures of God which hee had by creation, and be made Lorde ouer them againe. But some will say, if this be so, then a Christian man may hauehave and enioy all creatures at his pleasure, and therefore the goods of other men. Ans. The reason is not good, for in this life we hauehave no more but aaJus ad rem.right unto the creature, & bbJus in re.right in it, that is, actuall possession is reserued for the life to come. Therefore wee content our selues with our allowed portions giuen unto us by God, by his grace using them in holy manner, expecting by hope the full fruition of all thinges till after this life. Againe, if all title to the creatures be recouered by Christ, it may be demanded, whether infidels hauehave any interest to their goods or no? Ans. Infidels before men are right lordes of all their landes and possessions which they hauehave obtained by lawfull meanes, and in the courtes of men they are not to be depriued of them: but before God they are but vsurpers because they hold them not in capite, that is, in Christ▪ neither hauehave they any holy and right use of them, for to the uncleane all things are vncleane. And they must first of all become members of Christ before they can hold & enioy them aright, & use them wel.

The duties which are to be learned of the doctrine of this vnion are manifolde. And first of all wee are taught to p. 485purge our handes and heartes of all our sinnes, and especially to auoide all those sinnes whereby mens bodies are defiled, as drunkennesse, uncleannesse, fornication: for they driue away the spirit of God from his owne house, and dissolue the bond of the coniunction betweene Christ and vsus. Secondly we must eueryevery one of us, which professe our selues to be members of Christ, labour to become conformable unto him in holinesse of life, and to become new creatures: for this union requireth thus much. Let a man take the griftes of a crabbe-tree and set them into good stockes, yet will they not chaunge their sappe, but bring foorth fruite according to their owne nature euen sowre crabbes: but it must not be so with us: wee are indeed wild oliues, and the braunches of wilde vines, yet seeing we are perswaded that wee are grafted into Christ and made one with him, we must lay aside our wild and soure nature, and take upon us the nature of the true vine, beare good fruite, hauehave good iuyce in us, and render sweete wine. Thirdly, wee are taught hence to be plentifull in all good workes, consideriag wee are ioyned to him that is the fountaine of grace. And therefore Christ saieth, I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbande man: Ioh. 15.1.John 15:1every braunch that beareth not fruite in mee, hee taketh avvay; and everie one that beareth fruite hee purgeth it that it may beare more fruite. And the Prophet Esai compares the Church of God to a vineyarde with a tower and a wine-presse in it.Esai. 5.7.Isa 5:7 And God himselfe comes often downe vntounto it, to see the fruites of the valley, to see if the vine budde, Cant. 6.10.Song 6:10and the Pomegranates flourish. And further wee must bring forth fruite vvith patience. Luk. 8.15.Luke 8:15For the Lorde of this vineyarde comes with crosses and afflictions, as with a pruning knife in his hand to pare and to dresse us that wee may be fit to bring foorth fruite plentifully in duties of pietie to God, and in duties of louelove to all men, yea to our enemies. Crhistian men are trees of righteousnes growing by the waters of the sanctuary: but what trees? not like ours:Ezec. 47.12.Ezek 47:12 for they are rooted upwarde in heauen in Christ, and their graines and p. 486branches growe downward that they may beare fruite among men.

Hitherto we hauehave heard what the Church is: now to beleeue the Church is nothing else but to beleeue that there is a companie of the predestinate made one in Christ, and that withall we are in the number of them.

Before wee proceede any further, three rules must be obserued touching the Church in generall. The first, that Christ alone is the head of the Catholike Church,Eph. 2.22. Coloss. 2.19.Eph 2:22Col 2:19 & that hee neither hath nor can hauehave any creature in heauen or earth to be his fellow herein. For the Church is his body, and none but he can perfourme the duty of an head unto it: which dutie stands in two things; the first is, to gouerne the Church by such power and authoritie whereby he can and doth prescribe lawes properly binding the consciences of all his members; the second is, by grace to quicken and put spirituall life into them, so as they shall be able to say, that they liue not, but Christ in them. As for the Supremacie of the sea of Rome whereby the Pope will needs stand ministeriall heade to the Catholike Church, is a satanicall forgerie. For the headshippe (as I may tearme it) of Christ is of that nature or qualitie, that it can admitte no deputie, whether wee respect the commaunding or the quickening power of Christ before nam…d. Nay Christ needes no vicar or deputie; for hee is all-sufficient in him selfe and alwaies present with his Church, as hee him selfe testifieth, saying, Where tvvo or three are gathered togither in my name, there am I in the middest among them. And whereas all commissions cease in the presence of him that giues the commission: it is as much pride and arrogancie for the Pope to take unto himselfe the title of the heade and universall Bishoppe of the Church, as it is for a subiect to keepe him selfe in commission in the presence of his King.

The seconde rule is, that there is no saluation out of the Church, and that therefore euerie one which is to be saued must become a member & a citizen of the Catholike and Apostolike Church: & such as remaine for euer out of p. 487the same perish eternally. Therefore S. Iohn saieth, They went out of us, they were not of us, for if they had beene of vsus, 1. Ioh. 2.19.1 John 2:19they woulde have remained with vsus: but this commeth to passe that it might appeare, that they are not all of vsus. And againe, that such as be holy are in the citie of God, but without, that is, forth of the Church are dogges, inchaunters, Rev. 22.15.Rev 22:15whoremongers, adulterers, &c. And the Arke out of which all perished, figured the Church, out of which all are condemned. And for this cause Saint Luke saieth, that the Lorde added to the Church from day to day such as shoulde be saved. Act. 2.47.Acts 2:47And the reason hereof is plaine: for without Christ there is no saluation, but out of the militant Church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ: and therefore no saluation. Againe, foorth of the militant Church there are no meanes of saluation, no preaching of the worde, no invocation of Gods name, no sacraments, and therefore no saluation. For this cause eueryevery man must be admonished euermore to ioyne himselfe to some particular Church being a sounde member of the Catholike Church.

The thirde rule is, that the Church which here wee beleeue is onelyonly one. As Christ himselfe speaketh, My dove is alone, Cant. 6.8.Song 6:8and my vndefiled is the onelyonly daughter of her mother. And as there is onelyonly one God and one Redeemer, one faith, one baptisme, and one way of saluation by Christ onelyonly, so there is but one Church alone.

The Catholicke Church hath two partes: the Church Triumphant in heauen, and the Church Militant on earth.

The Triumphant Church may thus be described: It is a companie of the spirites of iust men, triumphing over the flesh, the devill, and the vvorlde, praising God. First I say it is a companie of the spirites of men as the Holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it,Heb. 12.23.Heb 12:23 because the soules onelyonly of the godly departed, as of Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Dauid, &c. are as yet ascended into heauen, and not their bodies. Furthermore the properties of this companie are two. The first is, to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh, the deuill, the worlde: for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall comb…te p. 488without truce with all these enemies of his saluation: and by constant faith obtaining victory, in the ende of his life hee is translated in glorious and triumphant manner into the kingdome of glorie. This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which hee saw an innumerable company of all sorts of nations, kinreds, people, and tongues stande before the lambe clothed in long vvhite robes with palmes in their handes, Rev. 7.10.Rev 7:10in token that they hauehave beene warriours, but now by Christ hauehave gotten the victorie and are made conquerours. Their second propertie is to praise and magnifie the name of god, as it followeth in the former place, saying, Amen: praise and glorie, and vvisedome, and thankes, honour, povver, and might be vntounto our God for evermore. Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this triumphant Church or no? Ansvvere. The blessed Angels be in heauen in the presence of God the father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, but they are not of the mysticall bodie of Christ, because they are not under him as he is their Redeemer, considering they can not be redeemed which neuer fell: and it can not be prooued that they now stande by the vertue of Christs redemption: but they are under him as hee is their Lord and King, and by the power of Christ as hee is God, and their God, are they confirmed. And therefore as I take it, wee can not say, that angels are members of the mysticall body of Christ or of the triumphant Church.

The Church Militant may be thus described: It is the company of the elect or faithfull, living under the crosse, desiring to be remooved and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant Church is the whole bodie of the elect, but only that part thereof which liueth upon earth: and the infallible marke thereof is that faith in Christ which is taught and deliuered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles▪ and this faith againe may be discerned by two markes. The first is, that the members of this companie liue vnderunder the crosse, and profite by it in all spirituall grace. And therefore it is saide, that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heaven. Act. 14.22.Acts 14:22And our Sauiour Christ saieth, If any man will come after me, Luk. 9.23.Luke 9:23let him deny himselfe, and take vp p. 489his crosse every day and follow me. The second marke is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ, as Paul saith,2. Cor. 5.8.2 Cor 5:8 Wee love rather to be removed out of this body and to be with Christ. And againe. I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ, Phil. 1.23.Phil 1:23which is best of all. Where yet we must remember, that the members of Christ doe not desire death simply and absolutely, but in two respectes: I. that they might leaue off to sinne, and by sinning leaue to displease God. II. That they might come to enioy happinesse in heauen, and to be with Christ.

Touching the generall estate of the Militant Church, two questions are to be considered. The first, how farre forth God is present with it assisting it by his grace. Answere. God giues his spirit unto it in such a measure, that although the gates of hell cannot preuaile against it, yet neuerthelesse it remaines still subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners. For that which is true in euerie member of the Church is also true in the whole: but eueryevery member of the militant Church is subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners: because men in this life are but in parte enlightened and sanctified, and therefore still remaine subiect to blindnesse of mind and ignorance, and to the rebellion of their willes and affections: whereby it comes to passe that they may easily faile either in iudgement or in practise. Againe that which may befall one or two particular Churches may likewise befall all the particular Churches vponupon earth, all beeing in one and the same condition, but this may befall one or two particular Churches to faile either in doctrine or manners. The Church of Ephesus failed in leauing her first louelove, whereupon Christ threatneth to remooue from her the candlesticke.Rev. 2.4.Rev 2:4 And the Church of Galatia was remooued to an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ:Gal. 1.6.Gal 1:6 now why may not the same things befall twentie yea an hundred Churches which befell these twaine. Lastly experience sheweth this to be true, in that generall councels hauehave erred. The counce…l of Nicene beeing to reforme sundrie behauiours among the Bishops & Elde…s would with common cōsent hauehave forbidden mariage unto p. 490them, thinking it profitable to be so; unlesse Paphnutius had better informed them out of the scriptures. In the third councell at Carthage certaine bookes Apocrypha, as the booke of Syrach, Toby, and the Macchabees are numbred in the Canon, and yet were excluded by the councell of Laodicea. And the saying of a divine is receiued, that former councells are to be reformed and amended by the latter.August. de Baptis. lib. 2. cap. 3. Ioh. 16.13. But Papistes maintaining that the Church can not erre, alleadge the promise of Christ: How be it when he is come which is the spirite of trueth, hee vvill leade you into all truth. Ansvver. The promise is directed to the Apostles, who with their Apostolicall authoririe had this priuiledge graunted them, that in the teaching and penning of the Gospell they could not erre: and therefore in the councell at Ierusalem they conclude thus, It seemes good vntounto vsus and to the holy Ghost. And if the promise be further extended to all the Church, it must be understoode with a limitation: that God will giuegive his spirit unto the members thereof to lead them into all truth,Ioh. 3.34. Act. 20.20, 27.John 3:34Acts 20:20Acts 20:27 so farre forth as shall be needfull for their saluation.

The second question is, wherein standes the dignitie & excellencie of the Church. Ansvvere. It standes in subiection and obedience vntounto the will & word of his spouse and heade, Christ Iesus. And hence it followeth, that the Church is not to chalenge unto her selfe authority ouer the scriptures, but onelyonly a ministerie or ministeriall service whereby shee is appointed of God to preserue and keepe, to publish & preach them, and to giuegive testimony of them. And for this cause,1. Tim. 3.11.1 Tim 3:11 it is called the pillar and ground of trueth. The Church of Rome not content with this, saieth further that the authoritie of the Church in respect of us is aboue the authoritie of the scripture, because (say they) we can not know scripture to be scripture but by the testimonie of the Church. But indeed they speake an untruth. For the testimony of men that are subiect to errour can not be greater and of more force with us then the testimonie of God who cannot erre. Againe, the Church hath her beginning from the worde: (for there can not be a Church p. 491without faith, and there is no faith without the word, and there is no word out of the Scriptures) and therefore the Church in respect of vsus, depends on the Scripture, and not the Scripture on the Church. And as the lawier which hath no further power but to expound the law, is vnderunder the law: so the Church which hath authoritie onelyonly to publish and expound the Scriptures, can not authorize them vntounto vsus, but must submit her selfe vntounto them. And whereas it is alleadged that faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10.Rom 10and this hearing is in respect of the voice of the Church, and that therefore faith comes by the voice of the Church: the answeare is, that the place must be vnderstood not of that generall faith whereby we are resolued that Scripture is Scripture, but of iustifying faith, whereby we attaine vntounto saluation. And faith comes by hearing the voice of the Church, not as it is the churches voice, but as it is a ministery or means to publish the word of God, which is both the cause & obiect of our beleeuing. Now on the contrarie we must hold, that as the carpenter knowes his rule to be straight, not by any other rule applied vntounto it, but by it selfe: for casting his eye vponupon it, he presently discernes whether it be straight or no: so we know and are resolued that Scripture is Scripture, euen by the Scripture it selfe, though the Church say nothing; so be it we hauehave the spirit of discerning when we read, heare, and consider of the Scripture. And yet the testimonie of the Church is not to be despised, for though it breed not a perswasion in vsus of the certentie of the Scripture, yet is it a very good inducement thereto.

The militant Church hath many parts. For as the Ocean sea which is but one, is deuided into parts according to the regions and countries against which it lieth, as into the English, Spanish, Italian sea, &c. so the Church dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth, is deuided into other particular Churches according as the countries are seuerall in which it is seated, as into the Church of England and Ireland, the Church of Fraunce, the Church of Germanie, &c.

Againe, particular Churches are in a twofold estate: sometime they lie hid in persecution, wanting the publicke p. 492preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments: & sometimes again they are visible, carrying before the eyes of the world an open profession of the name of Christ: as the moone is sometime eclipsed & sometime shineth in the full. In the first estate was the Church of Israel in the daies of Eliah, when he wished to die: because the people had forsaken the couenant of the Lord,1 King 19.14, 18.1 Kgs 19:141 Kgs 19:18 brokē down his altars, slaine his Prophets with the sword, and he was left alone and they sought to take away his life also. Behold a lamentable estate, when so worthie a Prophet could not finde an other beside himselfe that feared God: yet marke what the Lord saith vntounto him, I hauehave left seuen thousand in Israel, euen all the knees that hauehave not bowed vntounto Baal, and eueryevery mouth that hath not kissed him. Againe it is said, that Israel had bin a long season without the true God, without priest to teach, 2. Chron. 15.3.2 Chr 15:3and without the lawe. Neither must this trouble any that God should so farre forth forsake his Church: for when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile, he then gathereth his Elect by extraordinarie meanes; as when the children of Israel wandered in the wildernesse wanting both circumcision and the Passeouer, he made a supplie by Manna and by the pillar of a cloude▪ Hence we hauehave direction to answeare the Papists, who demaunde of vsus where our Church was threescore yeares agoe before the daies of Luther: we say that then for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie ouerspread the face of the whole earth, and that our Church then was not visible to the worlde, but lay hidde vnderunder the chaffe of Poperie. And the truth of this, the Records of all ages manifest.

The second estate of the Church is, when it flourisheth and is visible, nor that the faith and secret Election of men can be seene (for no man can discerne these thinges but by outward signes) but because it is apparant in respect of the outwarde assemblies gathered to the preaching of the worde and the administration of the Sacraments, for the praise and glorie of God and their mutuall edification. And the visible Church may be thus described: It p. 493is a mixt companie of men professing the faith, assembled together by the preaching of the word. Math. 13.25▪ 47.Matt 13:25Matt 13:47First of all I call it a mixt companie, because in it there be true beleeuers and hypocrites, Elect and Reprobate, good and badde. The Church is the Lords field in which the enemie soweth his tares: it is the corne flore in which lieth wheat and chaffe: it is a bād of men in which beside those that be of valour & courage, there be white liuered souldiours. And it is called a Church of the better part, namely the Elect whereof it consisteth, though they be in number fewe. As for the vngodly, though they be in the Church, yet they are no more parts of it indeed, thē the superfluous humours in the vains, are parts of the body. But to proceed, how are the members of the visible Church qualified and discerned? the answear followeth in the definition, professing the faith ▪ whereby I meane the profession of that religion which hath beene taught from the beginning, and is now recorded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles. And this profession is a signe and marke whereby a man is declared and made manifest to be a member of the Church.

Againe, because the profession of the faith is otherwhiles true and syncere, and otherwhiles onelyonly in shew: therefore there be also two sorts of members of the visible Church, members before God and members before men. A member of the Church before God is he, that beside the outward profession of the faith, hath inwardly a pure heart, good conscience, and faith vnfained, whereby he is indeede a true member of the Church. Members before men, whome we may call reputed members, are such as hauehave nothing els but the outward profession wanting the good conscience and the faith vnfained. The reason why they are to be esteemed members of vsus is, because we are bound by the rule of charitie to thinke of men as they appeare vntounto vsus: leauing secret iudgements vntounto God.

I added in the last place, that the Church is gathered by the word preached, to shew that the cause whereby it is begunne and continued, is the word: which,1▪ Pet. 1.23. Hebr. 5.13. 1. Cor. 3.2.1 Pet 1:23Heb 5:131 Cor 3:2 for that cause is called the immortall seede whereby we are borne anew, and milke, p. 494whereby we are fedde and cherished to life euerlasting. And hence it followeth necessarily, that the preaching of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, ioyned with any measure of faith and obedience, is an vnfallible marke of a true Church. Indeede it is true, there be three things required to the good estate of a Church, the preaching of the Gospell, the administration of the Sacraments, and due exequution of Discipline according to the word: yet if the two latter be wanting, if there be preaching of the worde with obedience in the people, there is for substance a true Church of God. For it is the banner of Christ displaied, vnderunder which all that warre against the flesh, the deuill, the worlde, must range themselues. As the Lord saith by the Prophet Isai, I will lift vp my hand to the Gentiles, and set vp my standard vntounto the people, Isai 49.22.Isa 49:22and they shall bring their sonnes in their armes, and their daughters shall be carried vponupon their shoulders. Hence it followeth that men which want the preaching of the Gospell, must either procure the same vntounto themselues, or if that cannot be, because they liue in the middest of idolatrous nations, as in Spaine and Italie, it is requisite that they should ioyne themselues to those places where with libertie of conscience they may inioy this happie blessing. Men are not to hauehave their hearts glued to the honours and riches of this worlde, but they should be of Dauids minde, and rather desire to be dorekeepers in the house of God, then to dwell in the tents of vngodlinesse. In the Canticles, the spouse of Christ saith, Shew merciemercy, O thou whome my soule loueth, Cant. 1.6.Song 1:6where thou feedest, where thou liest at noone: for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions. To whome he answeareth thus: If thou knowe not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steppes of the flocke, vers. 7.and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards: that is, in those places where the doctrine of righteousnes and life euerlasting by the Messias is published. When the Shunamites child was dead, shee told her husband that she would goe to the man of God, to whom he answeared thus; Why wilt thou goe to him to day, it is neither nevve moone nor sabbath day: 2. Kin. 4.23.2 Kgs 4:23whereby is signified p. 495that when teaching was skarse in Israel, the people did resort to the Prophets for instruction and consolation. And Dauid saith, that the people wheresoeuer their aboad was, went from strength to strength till they appeared before God in Sion. And oftentimes, they beeing Proselytes,Psal. 84.7.Ps 84:7 there aboad must needs be out of the precincts of Iewrie.

Thus we see what the visible Church is: nowe further concerning it, three questions are to be skāned. The first is, how we may discerne whether particular men and particular Churches holding errours, be sound members of the Catholicke Church or no. For the answearing of this, wee must make a double distinction, one of errours, the other of persons that erre. Of errours, some are destroyers of the faith, some only weakners of it. A destroier is that,2. Tim. 2.12.2 Tim 2:12 which ouerturneth any fundamentall point of religion; which is of that nature, that if it be denied, religion it selfe is ouerturned; as the deniall of the death of Christ, & the immortalitie of the soule, aaiustification by works.and such like: and the summe of these fundamentall points is comprised in the Creede of the Apostles and the Decalogue. A weakning errour is that, the holding whereof doth not ouerturne any point in the foundation of saluation; as the errour of free will, and sundrie such like. This distinction is made by the holy Ghost, who saith expressely that the doctrines of repentance, and faith,Gal. 5.2, 3. Hebr. 6.1. 1. Cor. 3.10.Gal 5:2Gal 5:3Heb 6:11 Cor 3:10 and baptismes, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection, and the last iudgement, are the foundation, namely of religion: and againe, that Christ is the foundation, and that other doctrines consonant to the word, are as gold and siluer laid thereupon. Secondly persons erring▪ are of two sorts: some erre of weakenes, beeing carried away by others; or of simple ignorance, not yet beeing conuicted and informed concerning the truth. Some againe erre of obstinacie, or affected ignorance, which hauing bin admonished and conuicted, still perseuere in their forged opinions. This beeing said, wee nowe come to the point. If any man or Church, shall hold an errour of the lighter kinde, he still remaines a member of the Church of God, and so must be reputed of vsus. As when a Lutherane shall hold, that images are still to p. 496be retained in the Church; that there is an Vniuersall Election of all men, &c. for these and such like opinions may be maintained, the foundation of saluation vnraced. This which I say is flatly auouched by Paul, If any man (saith he) build on this foundation gold, siluer, precious stones; timber, hay, or stubble, his work shall be made manifest by the fire, &c. and if any mans worke burne, he shall loose, but yet he shall be safe himselfe. 1. Cor. 3▪15.1 Cor 3:15And therefore the hay and stubble of mens errours beside the foundation on which they are laide, doe not debarre them from beeing Christians or members of the Church. A man breakes downe the windowes of his house; the house standes: he breakes downe the roofe or the walles; the house yet stands, though deformed: he pulls vp the foundation; the house it selfe falls and ceaseth to be an house. Now religion which we professe is like an house or building: and some points thereof are like windowes, dores, walls, roofes, and some are the foundation: and the former may be battered, the foundation standing. Againe, if the errour be directly or by necessarie consequent, euen in common sense against the foundation, consideration must be had whether the Church or partie erreth of weaknes or malice▪ if of weaknes, the partie is to be esteemed as a member of the Catholicke Church. And thus Paul writes vntounto the Church of Galatia, as to a Church of God, though by false teachers it had bin turned a way to another Gospel, and imbraced the fundamentall errour of iustification by works. But when any man or Church shal hold fundamentall errours in obstinacie or affected ignorance, we are then not bound to repute them any lōger as Churches or Christians, but as such to whom condemnation belongs, as Paul sheweth by the example of Iannes and Iambres. And as Iā nes and Iambres, saith he, withstood Moses, so doe these also resist the truth, 2. Tim. 3.8.2 Tim 3:8men of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith. Yet withall this caueat must euer be remembred, that we rather condemne the errour then the person that erreth, because Gods merciemercy is like a bottomlesse sea, whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners.

p. 497The second question is, where at this day we may finde such visible Churches as are indeede sound members of the Catholick Church. And for the resoluing of it, we are to go through all countries and religions in the world. And first to beginne with Turkes and Iewes, wee are not in any wise to acknowledge their assemblies for Churches, because they worship not God in Christ who is the heade of the Church.

As for the Assemblies of Papists which hauehave bin a great part of the world, if thereby we vnderstand companies of men holding the Pope for their head, and beleeuing the doctrine established in the councill of Trent; in name they are called churches, but indeed they are no true or sound members of the Catholick Church. For both in their doctrine & in the worship of God they race the very foundation of religion, which will appeare by these three points. First of all they hold iustification by works of grace: auouching that they are not only iustified before god by the merit of Christ, but also by their owne doings. Which opinion flatly ouer…urneth iustification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians, If ye be circum…ised Christ profiteth you nothing, that is, if yee looke to be iustified by the works of the ceremoniall law, yee are fallen from Christ:Gal. 5.2.Gal 5:2 ioyne Circumcision & Christ together in the matter of iustification, and yee doe quite ouerthrow iustification by Christ. Now if this be true, which is the word of God that can not lie, then we say to the Papists, If yee will needes be iustified by works of grace, ye are fallen from grace. The second point is, that they maintaine a daily reall sacrifice of the bodie of Christ in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and dead. And this is also a fundamentall heresie. For Christs sacrifice on the crosse must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice: and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Masse-priest, it is not perfect but imperfect. The third point is, that they worship the Images of the Trinitie and of Saints departed, and their Breaden-god, which is as vile an abomination as euer was among the Gentiles: all beeing directly against the true meaning of the second Commandement, and defacing the p. 498worship of God in the very substance thereof. Thus then it appeares that the old Church of Rome is changed, and is now at this day, of a spouse of Christ become an harlot: and therefore no more a Church of Christ indeed, then the carkasse of a deade man that weareth a liuing mans garment is a liuing man, though he looke neuer so like him. And whereas they pleade for themselues that they hauehave succession from the Apostles, the answeare is, that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine, which they want: and we see that Heretikes hauehave succeeded lawfull Ministers. Secondly, whereas it is alleadged that in the Popish assemblies the Sacrament of Baptisme is rightly for substance administred; and that also it is a note of a Church, three things may be answered. First, that Baptisme seuered from the preaching of the Gospel, is no more a signe of a Church, then the seale seuered from the Indenture is of force; and that is nothing. Circumcision was vsed in Colchis yet no Church,Herodot. & among the Samaritans, & yet no people. Secōdly Baptisme is in the assemblies of the Church of Rome,Hos. 1.9.Hos 1:9 as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thiefe: & indeed it doth no more argue them to be churches, then the true mans purse argues the thiefe to be a true man. For baptisme though it be in their assemblies, yet doth it appertaine not vntounto them, but vntounto an other hidden Church of God, which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the midst of them. Thirdly, though they hauehave the outward Baptisme, yet they by necessarie consequent of doctrine, ouerturne the inward baptisme that stands in iustification and sanctification. Moreouer, whereas it is alledged that they maintaine the booke of the old and new Testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles; the answear is, that they doe it with adding to the Canon, and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation: and therefore they are but as a lanthorne that shews light to others and none to it selfe. Fourthly, it is further said that they hold the Creede of the Apostles, and make the same confession of faith that we doe. I answeare that in shew of wordes they doe so indeede: but by necessarie p. 499consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ, and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede. And herein they deale as a father, that in outward shew tenders the bodie of his child, and will not abide the least blemish vponupon it: and yet by secret conveiances inwardly annoies the heart, the braine, or the liuer, and so in truth destroies the same. Fifthly it is alledged, that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God, that is, the Church: therefore say some that desire an vnion between vsus and the Papists, popish assemblies are true Churches: but the argument is not good. For it is one thing to be in the Church, an other thing to be of it. And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church, not as a member thereof, but as an vsurper, or as the pyrate in the ship of the marchant: & hēce it cannot be prooued, that assemblies of Papists are Churches, but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the midst whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth, though himselfe hath no part therein. Lastly, whereas some, being no Papists, think their Churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of soares and wounds frō the head to the foot, & the throat also cut, yet so as life is still remaining; we may better thinke, (their foule errours considered & their worship of God, which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme) that it is a rotten and dead corps void of spirituall life. And therefore we hauehave seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vponupon iust cause: neither are we schismaticks in so doing, but they rather; because the groūd & the proper cause of the schisme is in thē.

As for the Assemblies of Anabaptists, Libertines, Antinomies, Trit…eits, Arrians, Samosa…eniās, they are no churches of God▪ but conspiracies of monstrous heretikes iudicially condemned in the primitiue Church, and againe by the malice of Satan renewed and revived in this age. The same we are to thinke and say of the Familie of louelove.

As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes, they are to be reputed of vsus as the true Churches of God. Though their Augustane Confession hauehave not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed p. 500Churches: yet hauehave they all the same enemies in matter of religion, and doe alike confesse the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost: and of the office of the Mediatour, of faith and good works, of the Word, the Church and the Magistrate, are all of one iudgement. They differ indeede from vsus in the question of the Sacrament, but it is no sufficient cause to induce vsus to hold thē as no Church: for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lordes supper, wee all agree; and wee ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that hee doth truly feede vsus with his very bodie and blood to eternall life: and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing; we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hande of faith, they adding therto the corporall, whereby they imagine themselues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie. And though to maintaine this their opinion, they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a dispa…ition, whereby his bodie being visible becomes invisible, yet in the maine points we agree: that Christ ascended into heauen: that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vsus: that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might: and that whatsoeuer good thing we hauehave or doe, proceeds wholly from the grace of his spirit. Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reviveth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius, and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith: but that was priuate to some men, as Brentius and others, and was not receiued of whole Churches: and whereas the men were godly and learned, and we are vncerten with what affection, and how long they held this errour, we rest our selues in condemning it, leauing the persons to God. Againe Popish Transubstantiation, and Lutherian Consubstantiation, are both against the truth of the manhoode of Christ; yet with great difference. Transubstantiation is flat against an article of faith: for if Christs bodie be made of bread, and his blood of wine (which must needes be if there be a conuersion of the one into the other) then was not he p. 501conceiued and borne of the Virgin Marie: for it can not both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the Virgin. Againe it abolisheth the outwarde signe in the Lordes supper, and the aaand so ouerturnes the sacrament.analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified: but Consubstantiation doth not so, neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion, but onelyonly a maine point in Philosophie, which is, that A body doth occupy only one place at once.

Furthermore the Churches of Heluetia, & Savoie, & the free cities of France, & the low Countries, & Scotland▪ are to be reuerēced as the true churches of God, as their Confessiōs make manifest. And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland. For we hold, beleeue, and maintaine, and preach the true faith, that is, the auncient doctrine of saluation by Christ, taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles, as the Booke of the articles of faith agreed vponupon in open Parliament doe fully shewe: & withal now we are, and hauehave bin ready to testifie this our faith, by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power, and especially the Spainard: and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giuegive vntounto vsus the hand of fellowship. And whereas sundrie among vsus that separate and indeed excommunicate themselues, giuegive out that there is no Church in England, no Ministers, no Sacraments: their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient grounde, are but as paper-shot. They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities. Ansvv. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished: and they be either in doctrine, or manners. Againe corruptions in doctrine must be further distinguished: some of them are errours indeed, but beside the foundation; & some errors directly against the foundation: and these ouerturne all religion, wheras the former do not. Now it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raceth the foundation, and consequently annihillateth the truth of Gods Church. Indeed there is controuersie among vsus touching the point of Ecclesiasticall regiment: but marke in what manner. VVee all ioyntly p. 502agree in the substance of the regiment, confessing freely that there must be preaching of the word, administration of the sacraments according to the institution, and the vse of the Power of the kaies in admonitions, suspencions, excommunications: the difference betweene vsus is onelyonly touching the persons, and the manner of putting this gouernment in exequution: and therefore men on both parts, though both hold not the truth in this point; yet because both hold Christ the foundation, they still remaine brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners, they make not a Church to be no Church, but a badde Church. When as the wicked Scribes and Pharisies sitting in Moses Chaire,Math. 23.2.Matt 23:2 taught the things which he had written, the people are commaunded to heare them, and to doe the thinges which they say, not doing the thinges which they doe. And whereas it is saide, that we hold Christ in word, and denie him in deede; that is answeared thus: deniall of Christ is double, either in iudgement, or in fact: deniall in iudgement ioyned with obstinacie, makes a Christian to be no Christian; deniall in fact, the iudgement still remaining sound, makes not a man to be no Christian, but a badde Christian. When the Iewes had crucified the Lord of life, they still remained a Church, if any vponupon earth:Rom. 9.4. Act. 2.39.Rom 9:4Acts 2:39 and notwithstanding this their fact, the Apostles acknowledged that the couenant & the promises still belonged vntounto them: and they neuer made any separation from their Synagogues, till such time as they had bin sufficiently conuicted by the Apostolicall ministerie, that Iesus Christ was the true Messias.

Thus wee see where at this day we may finde the true Church of God. Nowe I come to the third question: and that is, at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church? Answeare. So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ, wee must make no separation from it: and when it separates from Christ, wee may also separate from it: and therefore in tvvo cases there is vvarrant of separation. The one is, when the vvorshippe of God is corrupt in p. 503substance. And for this we hauehave a commandement, Be not, saith Paul, vnequally yoked with infidels: 2. Cor. 6.14.2 Cor 6:14for what fellowshippe hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes, or what communion hath light with darknes, or what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidell? or what agreement hath the temple of God with idoles? wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues, saith the Lord. And we hauehave a practise of this in the old testament. When Ieroboam had set vp idoles in Israel,2. Chr. 11.14.2 Chr 11:14 then the Priests and Leuites came to Iudah and Ierusalem to serue the Lorde. The second is, when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance: as Paul saith, If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ, 1. Tim. 6.3.1 Tim 6:3and to the doctrine which is acdording to godlines, he is puffed vp; from such separate your selues. A practise of this wee hauehave in the Apostle Paul, who beeing in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Iewes, spake boldly for the space of three moneths, disputing and exhorting to the thinges which concerne the kingdome of God: but when certen men were hardned and disobeied, speaking euill of the way of God, he departed from them, and separated the disciples of Ephesus: Act. 19.9. & 28.28.Acts 19:9Acts 28:28and the like he did at Rome also. As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church, they are no sufficient warrant of separation, vnlesse it be from priuate companie,1. Cor. 5.11. Psal. 17.4. 2. Pet. 2.8.1 Cor 5:11Ps 17:42 Pet 2:8 as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul; and by the examples of Dauid and Lot. By this which hath beene saide, it appeares that the practise of such as make separation from vsus, is very badde and scismaticall, considering our Churches faile not either in the substance of doctrine, or in the substance of the true worship of God.